Patents Represented by Attorney Stephen W. Buckingham
  • Patent number: 6563993
    Abstract: A light fiber of directional side light extraction type capable of keeping the sectional shape as desired, reducing the undesirable light leakage to the outside through the light diffusive and reflective portion and extracting a highly directional and a highly bright light, and a process for manufacturing the same. Said object can be attained by co-extruding a resinous material only, and a material obtained by light scattering fine particles with a resinous material to disperse them therein so as to form a light diffusive and reflective film in a desired portion at least on the inner periphery of the clad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Kengo Imamura, Kenji Matsumoto, Shinichi Irie, Atsushi Udagawa
  • Patent number: 6549335
    Abstract: A high durability circular polarizer includes an unprotected K-type polarizer, such as a KE polarizer sheet, and a quarter-wavelength retarder. An optical system using the circular polarizer further includes an emissive display module such as an organic light emitting diode or a plasma display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Giorgio Trapani, Richard Pawlak, Gene R. Carlson, James N. Gordon
  • Patent number: 6535333
    Abstract: An optical system with improved color shift characteristics is described. Preferably, the system comprises a rear projection display that includes a light source providing light in first and second distinct polarization states, and a beaded screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Andrew J. Piepel, Robert S. Moshrefzadeh, Gary T. Boyd
  • Patent number: 6533959
    Abstract: Described are (alkyl,bromo)phenoxy alkyl (meth)acrylate monomers and polymers made therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: David B. Olson
  • Patent number: 6521145
    Abstract: Generally, the present invention relates to a display film and a method of making same, where the display uses electrically responsive, reflective particles disposed within a polymer matrix. The invention includes a method of making a display film having one or more monolayers of the reflective particles. The invention is also directed to a display having particles selected from a production distribution of particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: David A. Engler, Brit G. Billingsley, William D. Miller, Richard John Pokorny
  • Patent number: 6522807
    Abstract: A reflector for reflecting light from an elongate light source into the input end of a light guide having a diameter “D”. The light source is inserted through the narrow end of a collimating reflector which has a wide end with a diameter exceeding “D” through which light is emitted into the guide. The wide end of an output reflector circumferentially surrounds the collimating reflector's wide end. The output reflector's narrow end circumferentially surrounds the light guide's input end. The wide end of an input reflector circumferentially surrounds the collimating reflector's narrow end. The reflectors are cylindrically symmetrical about a common axis. Light passing from the light source to the collimating reflector is reflected, producing an output beam whose width varies as a function of distance along the axis. The light guide's input end is positioned along the axis to minimize the width of the output light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: Lorne A. Whitehead
  • Patent number: 6519087
    Abstract: A rear projection screen including a plurality of refracting beads bound in optical contact with a substrate is disclosed. The beads are surrounded by an opaque matrix. A diffuser is positioned such that light traveling through the screen will pass through the diffuser after passing through the beads but before exiting the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: Robert S. Moshrefzadeh
  • Patent number: 6519401
    Abstract: To provide a side light extraction type light fiber capable of extracting light having high brightness at a viewing angle. Means for solving: a light fiber comprising: a core (1) in the center portion, and a cladding arranged around the core, characterized in that the cladding comprises: (i) a light diffusive layer (3) comprising a light diffusive portion made of a light diffusive material containing, as a binder, a polymer having a refractive index smaller than that of the core, which is provided in closely contact with the core in a wall thickness of 1 to 300 &mgr;m in a circumferential direction, and (ii) a protective layer (4) made of a light transmitting resin material, which is formed to integrate with the light diffusive layer and covers the light diffusive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Kengo Imamura, Kenji Matsumoto, Atsushi Udagawa, Shinichi Irie
  • Patent number: 6497946
    Abstract: Diffuse reflective materials proximate to a structure formed by thermally induced phase separation of a thermoplastic polymer and a diluent providing enhanced flexibility and reflectivity especially in the visible wavelengths of 380-730 nanometers are described. Such materials find a wide variety of application among combinations with other reflective layers. The diffuse reflective articles are useful in backlight units of liquid crystal displays, lights, copy machines, projection system displays, facsimile apparatus, electronic blackboards, diffuse white standards, photographic lights and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Wade D. Kretman, Scott R. Kaytor
  • Patent number: 6480322
    Abstract: A method improves the respondability of moveable structures in a display medium, such as a gyricon display. The inventive method includes heating the display and exercising the rotatable structures within the display by an application of an electrical field. Applying heat to the display enlarges the cavity surrounding each particle due to thermal expansion of the cavity and the bead rotation cycling jostles the particles loose. The inventive method enables a larger percentage of the particles to rotate to a greater degree thereby improving resolution of an image. Alternatively, heating and exercising can be accomplished by application of ultrasonics. In addition, degassing the fluid contained in the display enhances switching with heat and improves the rotatability of the structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: David A. Engler, Rolf W. Biernath
  • Patent number: 6466368
    Abstract: A rear projection screen has one or more internal layers that reduce the speckle perceived by a viewer. A screen assembly has a light-source side and a viewing side. The assembly includes a screen layer to disperse light passing through the screen from the light source side and a matte surface disposed on the viewing side of the screen assembly to reduce ambient glare. A first speckle contrast reducing layer is disposed between the screen layer and the matte surface to reduce speckle formed at the matte surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Andrew J. Piepel, Robert S. Moshrefzadeh, Patrick A. Thomas, Thomas R. Gehring
  • Patent number: 6464822
    Abstract: An antireflection coating includes one or more inorganic antireflection layers (typically metal oxide or silica layers) and a polymer layer cured in situ, the polymer layer having a refractive index not greater than about 1.53 over the wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm and a thickness of from about 20 to about 200 nm. The polymer layer provides good scratch and fingerprint protection, and also enables the thicknesses of the inorganic antireflection layers to be reduced, thereby reducing the cost of the coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Hyung-Chul Choi, Robert L. Jones, Pradnya V. Nagarkar, William K. Smyth, Xiaojia Z. Wang, Yee Ho Chia
  • Patent number: 6461031
    Abstract: A spot light fiber (100) which comprises a core (101) which can transmit the light entered from an incident end towards an output end (102) and output the light from the output end, and a light leaking means (103) positioned along the peripheral direction on the external peripher face near the output end of the core; characterized in that the light leaking means is formed by using a light diffusive-transmissive light leaking film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: Michiru Hata
  • Patent number: 6459514
    Abstract: A multilayer optical film comprising: (a) an optical stack comprising alternating layers of at least a first polymer and a second polymer; and (b) a holographic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Laurence R. Gilbert, James M. Jonza, Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Carl A. Stover, Michael F. Weber, William W. Merrill
  • Patent number: 6456437
    Abstract: An optical sheet (25) for spreading light has a substantially smooth surface (27), and a structured surface (28) comprising an array of prisms (30, 31). A beam of light that is to be spread is directed through the film from the smooth surface. Some of the prisms (termed “refraction prisms”) deviate normally-incident light only by refraction at a prism facet as the light leaves the film while others (termed “reflection prisms”) deviates normally-incident light by total internal reflection within the prism before the light leaves the film. There are a plurality of reflection prisms (30) selected to deviate normally-incident light through different angles and a plurality of refraction prisms (31) selected to deviate the normally-incident light through different angles, and they are arranged, preferably in a non-ordered manner, so that successive reflection prisms are separated by at least one refraction prism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Michael C. Lea, Charles A. Marttila
  • Patent number: 6447135
    Abstract: A lightguide includes an input edge surface, a back surface and an output surface. A reflector is directly secured to the back surface by, for example, adhesive bonding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: David L. Wortman, Sanford Cobb, Kenneth A. Epstein, Mark E. Gardiner, Wade D. Kretman
  • Patent number: 6433216
    Abstract: Naphthyloxyalkyl(meth)acrylate monomers having a high refractive index and whose respective homopolymer has a low glass transition temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: David B. Olson
  • Patent number: 6431695
    Abstract: Liquid dispensers comprising a reservoir including a plurality of elongated channels formed from overlaying layers of microstructured film having a dispensing edge, each elongated channel having an outlet at the dispensing edge, wherein liquid can be stored in the reservoir, and a transfer element in fluid communication with the dispensing edge of the reservoir that provides a location from which liquid stored in the reservoir can be controllably dispensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Raymond P. Johnston, Thomas I. Insley
  • Patent number: D463779
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Paul J. Cobian, Susan M. Olson, Scott G. Theirl, Lisa A. Helmer
  • Patent number: D473337
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Jennifer J. Sahlin, Robert M. Biegler